Toronto, Ont. – People with sight loss are significantly less employed full-time than their sighted counterparts,
according to a recent survey from the CNIB Foundation, Vision Australia and the Blind Foundation of New Zealand. The
results were nearly half that of the national full-time employment rates for the general public in each of the
countries. New Zealand had the highest full-time employment rate for people who are blind or partially sighted at only
32%, followed by Canada at 28% and Australia at 24%.
Additionally, the data showed a strong correlation between mentorships programs and acquiring full-time employment for
people with sight loss in all three countries. Adults who are blind or partially sighted were more than 1.5 times as
likely to have a full-time job if they had a mentor related to their work.
The survey results also showed a strong correlation between a person's educational background and their ability to land
full-time work.
Table 1: Educational background versus full-time employment by countryEmployed full-time with a high school diploma or lessEmployed full-time with a post-secondary school degreeCanada5.5%35%Australia10.6%28%New Zealand15%42%
The data further showed people with sight loss who participated in team-oriented and leadership-building community
engagement activities were more likely (1.92 to 3.5 times) to be employed full time.
The survey also found people who've been blind all their lives were more likely to be employed full time in Canada and
New Zealand, compared to those who lost their sight later in life. In Australia, however, there isn't a significant
correlation between full-time employment and onset of sight loss.
Table 2: Onset of sight loss and full-time employment by countryBeen blind all my lifeLost sight in childhoodLost sight between the ages of 18-54Lost sight after the age of 54Overall populationCanada33%26%23%17%28%Australia25%13%29%4%24%New Zealand36%22%29%40%32%
The results found no correlation between severity of sight loss and full-time employment status.
Table 3: Severity of sight loss and full-time employment by countryMildModerateSignificantTotalOverall populationCanada27%31%24%21%28%Australia13%26%20%32%24%New Zealand39%40%24.7%27%32%
Of the survey respondents who worked full time, the top four industries for employment in all three countries were
educational services, health care, non-profit/disability services and public administration.
Table 4: Percentage currently employed full time in each industry by countryCanadaAustraliaNew ZealandEducational services8%11%13%Health care11%7%12%Non-profit/ disability services6%16%5%Public administration7%11%7%
Moreover, the findings pinpointed the three main barriers to people with sight loss attribute to finding employment or
being promoted. Across all three countries, they were transportation, employer's attitudes and workplace accessibility.
Table 5: Barriers to finding a job by countryCanadaAustraliaNew ZealandTransportation71%44%74%Employer's Attitudes64%49%62%Workplace Accessibility58%43%58%
Furthermore, the data showed 50% of respondents across all three countries reported feeling they had not been hired
because of their sight loss.
These are some of the findings of a first-of-its-kind multinational survey conducted between April and July 2018. For
this survey a sample of 1,205 Canadians, 362 Australians and 357 New Zealanders with sight loss were interviewed online
and over the telephone.
ends